The Holy Cross dispute occurred in 2001 and 2002 in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and involved an escalating dispute between a Nationalist community and the residents of loyalist area that was on route to the front entrance of a local Catholic primary school. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. For the village in Scotland see Ardoyne Aberdeenshire. Ardoyne (from the Irish Ard Eoin meaning Owen's height is a predominantly Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory A Loyalist picket arose following accusations that some nationalists had used the school route as a cover to cause damage and/or harassment in their community. Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. On the other side, the nationalists claimed that the picket was an infringement on the rights of parents and their children to walk to school on their chosen route. The dispute is remembered for its scenes of civil disorder and verbal taunting shown on television news articles across the world, particularly exchanges of abuse that occurred in the presence of visibly frightened young schoolgirls. There was widespread disorder throughout north Belfast for the duration of the dispute.
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Beginnings
Holy Cross is an all-girl Catholic primary school in what had been a mixed area until the beginning of The Troubles. The Holy Cross dispute occurred in 2001 and 2002 in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, Northern Ireland The Ardoyne area is segregated with loyalists to the west and Nationalists to the east of Alliance Avenue, and over time a permanent wall was built immediately to the west of Alliance Avenue. For the village in Scotland see Ardoyne Aberdeenshire. Ardoyne (from the Irish Ard Eoin meaning Owen's height is a predominantly Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Holy Cross was stranded on the opposite side of the peace line from its catchment, although only about 200 metres from it, and remained relatively undisturbed but for minor incidents of vandalism for three decades. A catchment is any device or structure that captures Water.
The origins of the dispute are inevitably contested. In December 2000, Protestant taxi driver Trevor Kell was shot dead in Ardoyne and the finger of suspicion immediately fell on the IRA as forensic evidence linked the bullet with an IRA shooting in 1997. Later, the IRA was blamed for the "punishment shooting" of two men, one of whom is believed to have been questioned over the death of Mr Kell. Tension built after the murder that led in the days before the protests to youths from both communities raising more and more flags along Ardoyne Road. [1].
The most commonly repeated story is that on Friday 15 June 2001, a dispute arose between local loyalist and republican activists on the Crumlin Road peace line in North Belfast over the flying of loyalist paramilitary flags. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic The Peace Lines are a series of Separation barriers ranging in length from a few hundred yards to over three miles (5 km separating Catholic Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status The loyalists were putting up flags linked to the Ulster Defence Association in an area that they claimed was solely Protestant, but republicans insisted was neutral territory. The Ulster Defence Association ( UDA) is a loyalist Paramilitary criminal organization in Northern Ireland, outlawed as a Terrorist An altercation ensued during which Loyalist males putting up these flags were rammed by a car.
Holy Cross students began complaining to parents of threatening verbal abuse when passing the Protestant area.
Loyalists began to blockade the nearby Holy Cross Primary School when children left for the day accompanied by their parents. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory
Summer 2001
The Loyalists continued the picket on Monday 18 June. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries There had, however, been a weekend of tension on the Ardoyne peace line and the atmosphere on the morning school run was poisonous, with known loyalist paramilitaries taking part in the picket. In general a loyalist is one who maintains loyalty to an established government political party or sovereign especially during war or revolutionary change By Tuesday 19 June, riot police had to be called out to escort children through the picket as the children and their parents were attacked with bricks by loyalists. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. On Wednesday 20 June the loyalist protesters blocked the front gates of the school and forced it to close, while officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) advised parents not to attempt to enter the school. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001 The standoff continued until the end of school term on 29 June, with loyalists blockading the Ardoyne Road, the police refusing to force children through, and some parents bringing their children to school by smuggling them through the grounds of another school. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
There was continuing violence in north Belfast involving youths at evenings and weekends during this period, concentrated in, but not confined to, Ardoyne.
Northern Ireland school holidays comprise the whole calendar months of July and August, covering the Orange Order "marching season" in July. The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly The 2001 marching season was, across Northern Ireland, more peaceful than for some years, although serious violence erupted at the main Twelfth parade in and around the Ardoyne area. The Twelfth is an annual Protestant celebration on 12 July, originating in Ireland. There was a good deal of low level Loyalist violence in Northern Ireland, Real IRA bombs in Britain and several sectarian murders carried out by loyalists in Northern Ireland. The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA (RIRA or True IRA and styling itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann (Volunteers Talks between residents (in practice, political activists) from the two parts of Ardoyne took place over the summer, but no agreement was reached.
Autumn 2001
The protest resumed on Monday 3 September, the first day of the Autumn school term. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius The Police Service of Northern Ireland (over the summer the RUC had undergone a name change) and the British army were, however, better prepared and managed to force a path through the protesters for about 50 of the 240 children in the school and their parents who were prepared to run the gauntlet. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. On the 4 September the protest escalated when a PSNI officer sustained a foot injury from a loyalist blast bomb, with more blast bombs being thrown at police on 5 September. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
Not only were the police better prepared than in June but also the world's media had descended on Ardoyne, as images of visibly distraught girls as young as four being stoned and jeered at were beamed around the world from the start of September until the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September caused attention to be drawn to New York and then Afghanistan. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Holy Cross standoff was a propaganda disaster for loyalists in north Belfast and for unionism in general. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and While the Protestants of Upper Ardoyne undoubtedly had grievances, they ended up defending what was, to any impartial observer, indefensible, namely, obstructing girls aged four to eleven on their way to Primary School. Although not previously mentioned there was another route to the school. This route was in fact a shorter one that led to a back door to the school. This is why there was usually around 30 girls out of the 150 out of the school that walked up through Upper Ardoyne. Most decided to take the other route. Although the parents that took their children through the gauntlet defended the trauma that this was anticipated to cause to their children by pointing out that they had a right to enter by the front door.
On Thursday 6 September, the loyalist picket remained peaceful but noisy with picketers banging bin lids, whistling and sounding klaxons when the children passed. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started On Friday 7 September the protest was silent in a tribute to Thomas McDonald, a 16 year-old Protestant boy killed in a hit and run incident after he had attacked a car with bricks and stones in a different part of north Belfast, 7 km away, on Tuesday. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Parents also held a minute's silence for the boy before departing from school.
From Monday 10 September, the picketers adopted new tactics: remaining silent when the children were walking to school, but making noise and making sectarian comments when their parents returned. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. This pattern continued until 14 September, when protesters called off their protest for a day in memory for the victims of the 11 September attacks in the United States. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
Throughout this period, there was widespread civil disturbance in Ardoyne and other parts of north Belfast outside school times.
Later in September the protest began to escalate again. Picketers began to make noise during the children's walk to school once more from Thursday 20 September, with fireworks being thrown at parents on Wednesday 26 September. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Violence escalated across the north of the city during this period, with loyalist protests on the nearby Crumlin Road turning violent throughout the week commencing 24 September and widespread rioting on the interfaces between the New Lodge, Newington and Tiger's Bay areas about 3 km away. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. The New Lodge is an urban working-class Catholic community in Belfast, Northern Ireland, immediately to the north of city centre. Newington is an area of north Belfast, Northern Ireland. Newington is a small cluster of streets consisting of large red-brick terraces On Friday 28 September, seven children were injured in a loyalist part of the Skegoneill area, 3 km away from Ardoyne, when a concrete block was thrown at the school bus taking them to Hazelwood Integrated College. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Hazelwood is a mixed school, attended by both Protestant and Catholic children. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete".
The protest continued in this vein throughout October and November, with urine-filled condoms and balloons being thrown at parents and children on Monday 1 October, and a blast bomb being left close to the route to school on Wednesday 17 October. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Attacks on both Protestant and Catholic school children travelling to school through "hostile" areas of North Belfast increased rapidly. On the 12th of November 400 police officers were involved in escorting the children and their parents to and from the school. On 20 November, with the protest showing no signs of ending, the Belfast Education and Library Board provided free buses to children attending Holy Cross, although most chose to continue walking. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it
On Thursday 22 November, First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan met with residents of Upper Ardoyne, and the following evening, Friday 23 November, they agreed to call off their protest after 14 weeks. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran William David Trimble Baron Trimble (born 15 October 1944 is a Northern Irish Politician from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Ulster Mark Henry Durkan (born 26 June 1960 Derry, Northern Ireland) is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland and the leader of the Social Democratic Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of The situation remained peaceful from then until term ended for Christmas.
2002
On 9 January 2002, there were confrontations outside Holy Cross Primary School during the afternoon school run, which exploded into widespread sectarian rioting, which spread across north Belfast during the evening and continued on 10 January, on which day the school was closed. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. On the same day, loyalist gunmen attacked another Catholic girls' primary and a Catholic girls' secondary School within 1 km of Holy Cross, while pupils from nearby Protestant schools were ferried through Catholic areas in armed landrovers. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution
On Friday 11 January, north Belfast was largely quiet, but the Red Hand Defenders, a loyalist splinter group issued a death threat to teachers and other staff working in Catholic schools in north Belfast, although police massively increased security and the threat was never acted upon. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. The Red Hand Defenders (RHD is a Northern Irish paramilitary group formed in 1998 and composed largely of Protestant hardliners from loyalist groups observing a cease-fire
Since then, Holy Cross has remained quiet.
See also
External links
- BBC Q & A on the Holy Cross dispute
- – CAIN Chronicle of the Conflict for 2001
- – Guardian map of the disputed route
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